Windra's (hopefully) useful guide to fanseries
Hey there! I'm [[User:Fynxfan|'Fynxfan']], otherwise known as Windra! Since you're here, you probably want to create your own series but have no idea how, right? Then I'm here to help! If you've got any questions, don't be afraid to ask, I'll try to answer them as best as possible. Now then, let's get started! Step 1 - The plot/themes So you probably know that each season has some kind of plot if you know anything about PreCure. Usually, in every season this is to defeat some kind of evil, but they differenciate in seasons, for example, Mahoutsukai PreCure has a witch theme going with it while KiraKira has baking and sweets. Find some idea that sounds interesting to you (for example... I don't know, a sea themed series or a fashion theme) and use that as an inspiration. Now I'm going to give you examples for possible themes (feel free to use them): # (Random Name) PreCure is about 5 girls that want everybody to be fashionable and find their own style so everyone can be happy. However, dark forces want to take away everyone's individuality, so the girls transform into Pretty Cure to protect creativity and individuality. # (Random Name) PreCure is about 4 girls- who are artists- who want to make everyone's day better by their paintings. However, lately, something has been going around stealing paintings that people like. Now, the girls have to transform into Pretty Cures to protect those paintings and the feelings connected to them. (Sidenote: From what I've noticed, some popular themes are space and gems. I'm not saying you shouldn't have that theme though) Also, try not to have a theme similar to an existing "real" season (I mean the seasons that already aired), since then you may be tempted to copy from that and who likes something that was just copied? Step 2 - The characters Alright, since you have a theme now, it's time to think about the characters! I usually start with my lead cure, the pink one (but she doesn't have to be pink, how about starting with a red, blue or yellow Cure for once?). The first thing I do when creating a character is find a personality. If this is hard for you, don't worry, many people think so. Sometimes it helps just to find some kind of archetype, like the energetic one or the quiet one and go from there. One important thing is to keep the character stable (aka not making them act out of character), since they are supposed to feel emotions too when you want to write an episode for your series. On the topic of emotions, make sure that those are appropriate too. It'd be weird if the "quiet girl" just suddenly began to be talkactive without any reason or the energetic one getting sad over stubbing her toe. Now then, we may have a personality but there's still a bunch of stuff missing, so let's start with names! When I name characters, the names usually connect to the character in one way or another. For example, my Cure, Minamihara Natsuko's last name means "south field" which connects to her duty, namely being the maiden of the south (yes, that series is cardinal directions themed). Her first name, Natsuko means "summer child". I based that one on the fact that she's fire themed andthought that in summer it's usually hot. On the topic of that, don't choose a name that sounds to similar to an existing Cure. Originally, Natsuko's last name was going to be Minamino, which also means "south field". However, that already was Cure Rhythm's last name, so I chose a name with a similar meaning to what I wanted, changing the "no" to "hara". Another aspect is the Cure name (if your character is one). These usually connect to their powers, like a fire based Cure being Cure Ember or a water Cure named Cure Splash. It'd sound weird to switch those, right? You don't have to stick to "such basic" names, so go wild! Also, PreCure likes to use words from other languages as names, like Cure Rouge (rouge is french for red) or Cure Aqua (aqua means water). "Cure Rouge" and "Cure Aqua" sound cooler than "Cure Red" and "Cure Water", so maybe you want to try that too. I talked about powers briefly, but those should also connect to the personality somehow. If we take Natsuko again, she's very passionate about anime and manga, as well as idols and her favourite thing, metal work. If you read that short description, what do you think of? Probably fire and maybe metal, but not water. For their appearance, I'm not really the right person to ask. But all Cures generally have a theme colour, so base both their civilian as well as Cure form on that (like their hair colour or the colour of their clothes). Again, theme colours usually connect with their powers, but they don't have to. If I can show an example again, Cure Soul (aka Natsuko) has yellow as her theme colour, not red and her teammate, Cure Encode's (who is both water and thechnology themed) theme colour is pink. (Although this is partly due to my lead being a red Cure there, whoops) Also, a lot of PreCure teams have something in common, be it their transformation item (more on that later) on the costume or having a piece of clothing that everyone wears. Happiness Charge PreCure took that "to the extreme", creating Cure uniforms that have a strict way they look. What is still missing? It's... Step 3 - The backstory What is a backstory? Well, it's the character's history, things that happened before the start of the series. They are often the reason why the character acts like they act or why their personality is how it is. It also enables character development in the story. Character development is neccesary for a good character to not be flat, aka being boring because they don't change, learn something, etc., which is especially bad if it's the lead Cure lacking development. These backstories can either be happy or be sad and depending on what you choose is how the character's personality changes. Again, make sure it's not flat or illogical to their personality, meaning if your character had the happiest childhood possible, they wouldn't be cold or a pessimist. You can of course, put a twist on these backstories too, for example having a character that seems happy, only to reveal later in the story that they're only trying to be happy because they're always alone. Again, here you can do whatever you like! But don't go overboard and make everybody suffer! Step 4 - Items and such What is a Cure without her transformation item? Exactly, not a Cure at all. Transformation items in PreCure are usually items you could find in everyday life (cellphones, brooches, perfumes, etc.) but still look special in some way. The Cures carry them around with them and when they transform, the item usually appears somewhere on their costume. Again, here you can let your imagination run free! Other items include collectibles, which are optional. From my experience, they either are forgotten because they're NOT the main focus of the story, or they ARE the main focus of the story, making everything else forgettable. But don't let me stop you. Then there is weapons. Sometimes, every Cure has the same item, sometimes they have different ones. They are often used for group attacks. A very important point is to make them related to the theme of the story. The Linkle Sticks work for Mahoutsukai as they are magic wands, if they were... I dunno, frying pans, they wouldn't fit in. That's a good rule in general. Make sure whatever item you put in fits in the story. And like i have said many times before, be creative! Step 5 - Setting and locations So the story has to take place somewhere, right? In PreCure, this is often made up town, their names often relating to some kind of theme of the series. Also, most Cures are students, so they still go to school, which is a great place for character interaction. This is, once again, up to your imagination. Also, the villains have to have some place to stay. Same rules apply. What I also count as the setting is minor and background characters. These are developed like main characters, but not as in depth as mains, so you can create them like you would a main character (see step 2 again if you need help). Minor characters are family, friends (that are not cures) and other allies. (TBA)Category:Guides Category:User: Fynxfan Category:Windra's (hopefully) useful guides